Dual throttle control for internalcombustion engine power plants



J. JIDUGAS 2,434,4-89

COMBUSTION ENGINE POWER PLANTS Jan. 13, 1948.

LJAL THROTTLE CONTROL FOR INTERNAL- Filed Nov. 3, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l1948 J. .1. DUGAS 2,434,489

DUAL THROTTLE CONTROL FOR INTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINE POWER PLANTS FiledNov. 5, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 13, 1948 UNITED STATESPATENT QFiFI flE 2,434,459

DUAL THROTTLE CONTROL FOR INTERNAL- oomsuszrron JENGINEPQWERLBLANTQSJoseph .LDugas, New OrieansgLa, assig ior t o Higgins Industries, Inc.,New Orleans, -La., a corporation of Louisiana :ApplicationNoveinher 3,19 44, Serial No. 61- 808 4 Claims. (Cl. 192-.01)

ject being to prevent the engine. from racingwhen the. lever is inneutral position, .and to prevent recoupling of the vload withthe-engine occurring while the engine is operating at high speed.

A more specific-obj ect-of the invention is to provide a vacuum powerunit fortheautomaticoper ation of-the-throttle valve under theconditions above mentioned consisting of a motor deriving vacuum fromthe-intake nianifold of the engine or from a vacuum pump driven by thengine,

controlled by a valve actuated by the lever wm operates the clutch,transmission or reverse gear, to operate the motor when said lever ismovedto aposition in which the engine is released from load, for movingthe throttlevalveto low speed position.

Still another objectof the invention is to provide a spring. loadedlinkage or. its equivalent in the line offorce transmiss on from themanual throttlevalve control wnich yieldsto the movement of the throttlevalve when under automatic control, and restores the throttle valve to'its manually set ,position; when the automatic control ceases tooperate.

the followingdescription of a preferred and other embodiments thereofproceeds.

In the drawings which accompanycand formia part of the followingspecification:

Figure 1 is a perspectiveview-ofan internal ,the. structure; shown;in;-Eigure 3;

. 'Eieure,.-5.;1s a medifie ier io .-th .:;inventien.

Other obiects ,of the invention will, appear as .3

.2 lar dia ra matic s n n .e ee r est"- metic cont o iq ih ihrettl lvlve .'Eigure 6 is another n odiiied form of the invention showingadirect automatic mechanical control of the throttlevalve without thebenefit of a. powerm to Referring now in detail to the several figures,and first .advertirigtoFig ure 1, this by wa yjoi xam l m mbn iq re am iee ew mee in winch the. lever I operates the .chitch and reversegear. Iti's of clo ur seiwe ll lgnownthat i a eqefl ie e srs se ee b k 14 thforward speed of; the boat, which to be aniefiective brak ha .l lee e ie rieieeiiq w ih respect is onit peasant-t :tht fli eye. I .diatel -fromrward-sp e 199 1 2 .i v. fe speedp sit q -v Der n eth irensii q thbllite thrown puree -ord n il the engm iacesumposi aalstrai unoniheipa twhenthe-sli tth and gearsarerene e d, rever ea a cularlywcaring theclutch unduly- :A ide fromsllfill emergency .operationof the ,lever litv is highly desirable .whenever changing from forward to reverse, orviceversa to provide meansfor automaticallyrclosing the: throttle valveof the .engine to low speed position when the'clutch is about-to-be--disengaged so that the engine .will not. beiracing'w-henthrown:into the oppositegear.

It is a1so=important,particularly .when using thereverse gear. as abrake,- that when the clutch is re-engaged the engine shall resumethenormal speed at which; it was operating beforethe automatioally imposedinterruption. -Therefore, the op ration orthe automatic throttle closingmeans should notchange the previous manualsetting of the throttle valve.

.I es n i i nsa e m t in e m hre il on ro llus rate i i ur 1,1111 ie jtie en e u er 2. re r s n th inta meme fold of the internal combustion.engine, 3 the carburetor, 4 the riser from the carburetor gen intalge.maniiold, and 5 the throttlevalve. The t ttl v v s PPQF P m n a a m haner. an inte m diat l 'gkag cempris'e ing, .in .theembodiinent shown therodlpbell ran 8 r e e q-a u i r h n th l n 9 between the bell gran};andthrottle .valve.

J The link .9. is formed 1? rectilineagr'ly. approachab se iiiql I lan Ih sper ed biz-.asn ii i2. e ish w r th s we I an I I a e deele r ue ithsea eta he e I endihar 5 ?rl fi nhfi J, Q 1 5. 1? :P-Q EWQ i a ins thehe d ;Q ;:;th to ei si egb -th s r n 12- 312% 3 spring is stiff enoughto cause the link 9 to act as anintegral rod to open and close thethrottle valve when the throttle lever B is operated.

The lever 6 preferably moves in conjunction with a detent means such asthe rack bar engaged by a spring pressed pawl l6, so that it maintainsthe position in which it is manually set, and the tension of the springI2 is such that it yields under compression responsive to closingmovements of the throttle valve by the automatic means which will now bedescribed.

The numeral represents a vacuum operated motor of conventionalconstruction, the interior working parts of which arenot shown, sincethey are not part of the subject invention. The motor is bolted to afixed support and has a shaft l8 carrying the crank arm l9. When themotor is subjected to vacuum, the crank arm I9 is moved counterclockwiseto the downward position shown. .When the vacuum is relieved, th crankarm moves clockwise in an upward direction. The crank arm I9 isconnected to the throttle valve by means such as the cable 20, whichshould be of such length that when a crank arm is in its lowermostposition the throttle valve will be pulled in a closing direction to alow speed position.

The motor I! may incorporate means, not shown, for returning the crankarm to its upper position, but in the absence of such means the spring|2 will perform that function, returning the throttle valve to the openposition corresponding to the setting of the lever 6.

- Suction is applied to the motor I4 from the intake manifold 2, by wayof the conduits 2E] and 2| through an automatic control valve 22. Thisvalve may be of any desired construction. As shown, it consists of adouble poppet valve 23 at the end of a stem 24. The upper poppet valveis normally held in closed relation to the conduit 20. While the vacuumis thus excluded from the motor H, the conduit I is in communicationwith the atmosphere through the breather conduit 32. -When the stem 24is depressed, the breather conduit is closed and the conduit 20 openedto the motor, thus subjecting the motor to vacuum from the intakemanifold.

The functioning of the valve 22 is controlled by a swinging lever 27,pivoted at one end to a fixed support in an unbalanced position, theopposite end of the lever 2'! being pivotally connected to the stem 24of the valve so that the weight of the lever holds the valve open. Theunder side of the swinging lever is formed with a concave cam surface28. The swinging lever 27 is positioned in operative proximity to theclutch lever The latter carries a roller 3| which supports the swinginglever 21. When the clutch lever is in either of its extreme positionswhich represent the forward or rearward position of clutch engagement,the roller 3| rests on the high spots 29 or 30, holding the swinginglever elevated and the valve 22 closed. Whenever the clutch lever is ineither of these extreme positions, the automatic throttle valveoperating system is inactive and the speed of the boat depends upon theset position of the hand throttl lever 6.

When the clutch lever is moved from forward position or from reverseposition, the roller 3| begins to enter the cam depression 28. Thislowers the swinging lever and opens the valve 22, applying vacuum to themotor l'l which by means of the cable 26 or its equivalent, moves thethrottle valve to slow speed position, at the same time compressing thespring |2 of the link 9, leav- 4 ing the position of the manual throttlelever B undisturbed.

The middle position of the clutch lever I, with respect to the camdepression 28, represents the position of the complete clutchdisengagement, or neutral position. While the clutch lever remains inthis position, the throttle valve is held in low speed by the automaticcontrol. When the clutch lever is moved from neutral position to eitherextreme, the roller 3| lifts the swinging lever so that the throttlevalve is released from automatic control and resumes the open positioncorresponding to the setting of the manual lever 6. When the clutchlever is moved from one extreme position to the other, the automaticcontrol takes charg immediately prior to clutch disengagement andreleases the control just prior to clutch reengagement.

' Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, these represent a valve operatingarrangement which can be substituted for the swinging lever 21. Theclutch lever is shown mounted upon a clutch operating shaft 33, whichextends from the clutch housing 34. A sector 35 is secured to the shaft33 and carries a cam surface 36 on its periphery consisting of thedepressed portion 31 and the extreme high spots 38. The depressedportion is symmetrical with respect to the axis of the stem of the valve22, which stem carries at its lower end a roller 39 engageable with thecam surface of the sector. When the clutch lever is in neutral position,as shown, the roller 39 is in the depressed portion of the cam surfaceand the valve 22 is open so that the automatic throttle valve operatingmeans is in control of the throttle valve. When the clutch lever ismoved to either extreme position in which the roller 39 rests upon thecorresponding high spot 38, the valve 22 is closed and the automaticthrottle valve control cutout.

Referring now to that form of the invention shown in Figure 5, th vacuummotor of Figure 1 is substituted by an electric motor consisting of thesolenoid 49, having an armature 4| spring pressed in a forward directionand magnetically drawn into the solenoid. The cable 4| or its equivalentconnects th armature to the throttle valve 5. The throttle valve isconnected to the manual throttle lever 6 by the same type of linkage asis illustrated in Figur 1, comprising the spring loaded link 9, bellcrank 8 and connecting rod 1. A sector 42 is secured to move with theclutch lever I. Said sector has a cam surface which is the reverse ofthat shown in Figure 3. In other words, it has the intermediate camelevation 43 between the extreme cam depressions 44. Aswitch 45controlling the circuit through the solenoid is in operative proximityto the sector 42, the movable contact 46 of the switch being furnishedwith a roller 41, which engages the cam surface of the sector. When theroller is on the elevation 43 the switch is closed, th solenoidenergized, the armature retracted, and the throttle valve moved to lowspeed position. When the roller 41 is in either of the extremedepressions 44, the switch is open, the solenoid circuit is broken, thearmature 46 is thrust forward and the throttle valve permitted toreassume the position in which it was previously manually set, throughthe expansion of the spring within the link 9.

Figure 6 shows a purely mechanical form of automatic throttle valvecontrol in which no power motor is employed. In this form of the througha cable 48 or its equivalent, and at the opposite end carrying a roller49 which engages the cam surface of a secto 42, similar to thatillustrated in Figure 5. This sector moves with the clutch lever I. Thetrain of connections between the manual throttle lever 6 and thethrottle valve is the same as that described in connection with Figures1 and 5. When the roller 49 is on the cam elevation 43, the throttlevalve is moved to closed position, collapsing the link 9 against thecompression of the spring l2. When the roller 49 is in either of thedepressions 4d, the pull of the cable 48 on the throttle valve isreleased and the throttle valve returned to the previously manually setopen position through the expansion of the spring l2.

While I have in the above description disclosed what I believe to bepreferred and practical embodiments of the invention, it will beunderstood to those skilled in the art that other adaptations of theinventive principle are within the scope of the invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In an internal combustion engine power plant including a throttlevalve for the engine and a lever for controlling the load carried by theengine, dual controls for said throttle valve, one control comprising amanual throttle lever, the other control comprising said loadcontrolling lever and a vacuum motor, independent connectionsrespectively from said manual throttle lever and motor to said throttlevalve, said motor communicating with a source of vacuum created by theoperation of said engine, through the intermediary of a valve, and meansactuated by said load controlling lever as it approaches load releasingposition for opening said last named valve to cause said motor to movesaid throttle valve to a determined low speed position, a mem ber of theconnection from said manual throttle lever to said throttle valve beingconstructed to act as a rigid member under throttle valve moving forcetransmitted by said manual throttle lever but yieldable under thethrottle valve closing force transmitted by said vacuum motor.

2. In an internal combustion engine power plant including a throttlevalve for the engine and a lever for controlling the load carried by theengine, dual controls for said throttle valve, one control comprising amanual throttle lever, the other control comprising said loadcontrolling lever and a vacuum motor, independent connectionsrespectively from said manual throttle lever and motor to said throttlevalve detent for holding said throttle valve lever in any manually setposition, said motor communicating with a source of vacuum created bythe operation of said engine, through the intermediary of a valve, andmeans actuated by said load controlling lever as it approaches loadreleasing position for opening said last named valve to cause said motorto move said throttle valve to a determined low speed position, a memberof said connection from said manual throttle lever to said throttlevalve being constructed to act as a rigid member under throttle valvemoving force transmitted by said manual throttle lever but yieldableunder the throttle valve closing force transmitted by said vacuum motor.

3. In an internal combustion engine power plant including a throttlevalve for the engine and a lever for controlling the load carried by theengine, dual controls for said throttle valve, one control comprising amanual throttle lever,

the other control comprising said load controlling lever and a vacuummotor, independent connec-- tions respectively from said manual throttlelever and motor to said throttle valve detent means for holding saidthrottle valve lever in any manually set position, said motorcommunicating with a source of vacuum created by the operation of saidengine, through the intermediary of a valve, and means actuated by saidload controlling lever as it approaches load releasing po-- sition foropening said last named valve to cause said motor to move said throttlevalve to a determined low speed position, a member of the connectionfrom said manual throttle lever to said throttle valve comprising asectional rod, the sections being slidable through the ends of a housingand having heads on their adjacent ends within said housing, a springwithin said housing in compression between said heads normally holdingthem against the ends of said housing, the tension of said spring beinsuch as to cause said rod to act as a rigid member when actuating saidthrottle valve through the manual throttle lever, but yieldable to aclosing mavement of said throttle valve responsive to movement of saidload controlling lever.

4. In an internal combustion engine power plant including a throttlevalve for the engine and a lever for controlling the load carried by theengine, dual controls for said throttle valve, one control comprising amanual throttle lever with linkage connecting it to said throttle valve,the other control comprising said load controlled lever and a vacuummotor having a movable element connected to said throttle valve, saidmotor communicating with a source of vacuum created by the operation ofsaid engine through the intermediary of a valve, means actuated by saidload controlling lever as it approaches load releasing position foropening said last named valve to cause said motor to move said throttlevalve to a determined low speed position, a member of said linkage beingconstructed to act as a rigid member under throttle valve moving forcetransmitted by said manual throttle lever, but yieldable under thethrottle valve closing force transmitted by said vacuum motor, saidvalve opening means comprising a swinging lever pivoted at one point toa fixed support and operatively related to said vacuum control valve atanother point, said swinging lever and said load controlling leverhaving, the one a cam surface and the other means engageable with saidcam surface, for moving said swinging lever to open said valve when saidload controlling lever is pivoted to a position to release the load.

JOSEPH J. DUGAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

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